What Goes Around Comes Around: Tariffs Stuck on the Spin Cycle

American firms cheering for protectionism in the form of tariffs on their foreign competitors should be careful what they wish for. As they say, "What goes around comes around." Case in point: The American washer and dryer manufacturer Whirlpool Corp.

Last January, the Trump administration imposed a penalty on Americans who buy foreign-made washers. The administration argued that the need to protect our domestic washer makers from competition required the imposition, for a period of three years, of a 20 percent duty on the first 1.2 million imported washing machines each year and a 50 percent duty on quantities above that threshold...

What's Next on the Bridge

Stay Updated

Follow everything happening at the Mercatus Center from week to week by subscribing to This Week at Mercatus. Each week, we will send you the latest in publications, media, and events featuring Mercatus research and scholars.

Email *

Support Mercatus

Your support allows us to continue bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world policy solutions.Donate